Wausau man's campaign aims to help homeless kids

WAUSAU - Jim Nick likes to help his community. The local businessman is well-connected among volunteer organizations and school groups, and he often asks officials what they need to solve a problem or how he can help.
T'xer Zhon Kha/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

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Wausau local businessman Jim Nick poses for a photo Thursday at his office, American Family Insurance in Rib Mountain.(Photo: T'xer Zhon Kha/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

WAUSAU - Jim Nick likes to help his community. The local businessman is well-connected among volunteer organizations and school groups, and he often asks officials what they need to solve a problem or how he can help.

When one of his friends, Wausau East High School Principal Brad Peck, told him there were 15 homeless students enrolled at the high school this year, Nick said he was surprised and volunteered to help.

"I emailed about 40 people I know and got donations to help out the school," Nick said. "I thought, this is a number we can manage and help out some kids."

Nick's surprise turned to shock when he learned about the extent of homelessness throughout the Wausau and D.C. Everest school districts.

After he talked with Peck, he made some telephone calls and found out the number hovers near 200-250 students between the two districts.

The majority of students who are homeless don't have a consistent place to live. Their families move from different relatives or friends homes due to economic hardship, school officials said. A smaller portion of homeless students live in a hotel, motel or shelter or substandard housing without electricity or water, the officials said.

"Schools work to provide children with a stable, safe environment," Peck said.

Nick was astounded at the numbers; he sent messages to his email contacts and began posting on his Facebook page about ideas to help homeless children. His computer quickly flooded with responses, and his Facebook posts have been shared more than 700 times. He wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning to answer text messages.

"This is something that really touches people," he said.

With helpers waiting in the wings, Nick got to work. He developed a plan to collect donations of supplies and money at his American Family Insurance offices. Then managers at Tradition Cleaners and Dale's Weston Lanes offered to be collection sites, too.

He emailed his plan and posted it on his Facebook page.

And the community is responding.

Thursday morning a Wausau business delivered to Peck's school new winter coats for 11 high school students and bags of personal hygiene products along with gift cards for food.

"What Jim is doing is inspiring others to help," Peck said.

Similar to other schools, Wausau East has a pantry where students can get free supplies without their peers knowing they lack clean clothes or winter jackets. The pantries often are located in a school closet or counselor's office.

"High school students don't want to stand out," Peck said. "They aren't going to ask for help, so we have supplies, but often not enough to help kids. ... It's awesome to see how the community is rallying around this need."

When students are hungry, it's hard for them to concentrate in school. And when students don't have winter coats or suitable clothes, it's hard for them to be motivated to go to school, Peck said.

School counselors will work with parents to connect families with the various local agencies that provide assistance, but that doesn't help all of the families in need, school officials said.

Besides collecting donations, Nick's campaign also is raising the awareness about homelessness in the community.

"This is making people aware that it happens in your own back yard," said Kristine Gilmore, superintendent of the D.C. Everest schools.

Nick also created a fund, Help the Kids, to provide schools with the funds to buy supplies as needed.

"We've already raised $6,000 for Help the Kids," Nick said. His goal is to raise a enough money for Help the Kids to be self-sustaining.

The drive to collect supplies and donations will last indefinitely, he said

Although Nick knows this won't put a roof over children's heads, he hopes his campaign will help children from poor families to succeed in school.

"My goal is that 30 to 60 days from now we have supplies at all the schools, but the need isn't going to end," Nick said.

While working with the area school districts, Nick also is working with two nonprofit organizations that assist students in need: Blessings in a Backpack and the John A. Waldron Student Assistance Fund.

Blessings in a BackPack provides weekend meals to more than 1,100 local students while the Waldron fund helps low-income students with emergency needs and pays fees for school or extracurricular activities.

"All kids just want to be kids, but if a family can't afford the $20 fee for art supplies or the money for shoes for a sport, then kids miss out on some of the great things schools offer," Nick said.

Children don't ask to be born into poverty or homelessness, he said.

"When people start blaming the parents, that's not the point," Nick said. "As a community we need to take charge of this because kids are resilient and if we give them the chance to succeed in school, they'll get educated, get jobs and be a productive part of our community."

Donations sought: New or lightly used undergarments and clothes of all sizes from kindergarten through 12th grade as well as shoes, boots and winter jackets. Nonperishable food including snacks, juice boxes and prepackaged individual-size servings of fruit. Personal hygiene supplies including shampoo, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products.

Cash donations: Make check out to one of the three funds: Blessings in a Backpack, or John A. Waldron Foundation, or Help the Kids and mail check to Jim Nick, American Family Insurance, P.O. Box 2106, Wausau, WI, 54402-2106.